Italy: Let's talk about the environment and opportunities of nuts

An excellent and sought-after sector, but the production of walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts is below consumption Let's talk about the environment and opportunities. In agriculture. In Italy. At a meeting organized on the occasion of Cibò, the festival organized every year in the center of Bologna by his friend Stefano Odorici, we discussed nuts with Alessandro Annibali and Lorenzo Frassoldati. Few people know that for walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds the Italian production, however excellent and sought after, is well below (even 50%, alas often more) than consumption. The maximum of the paradox develops for chestnuts. The chestnut wooded area should be equal to over 600 thousand hectares of which only 52 thousand are properly cultivated (Istat data; Faostat, however, speaks of 21 thousand). On a consumption of about 100 thousand quintals per year, Italy is able to satisfy with its production between 40 and 50%. It imports from Spain, Portugal and Turkey, but also from China. A ...